The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1887-10-15
HER LOVER.
BY ERsKINE BELL.

IL lOOkS as III IL were going TO snow Tor
weeks, Miss Elizabeth" said old Gregory,
as he touched his hat and hobbled down
the icy pathway as fast as rheumatism and
old age would permit him.
Miss Elizabeth looked down into the
sweet old English garden, with its tangled
mass of shrubbery covered with snow, and
mist came oyer her eyes.
A week! The slim white fingers closed
tightly oyer the yellow envelope clasped in
her hand, and as she turned away from
thesdoor tear FLASHED down upon it.
In just one week the mortgage would be
foreclosed, the letter said, and unless the
amount could be raised in the meanwhile,
the dear old house where she was born
must pass into the hands of strangers.
The investments that her nephew made
for her all proved failures, and when, five
years ago, he had come bustling up from
London and told her that this mortgage
would save her fortune, she signed her
name to the paper, and, for while all
seemed well.
How foolish she had been! Why had
she not asked more about it? Ralph Nor
gan had paid the interest for her as it came
due, until two years ago, when she received
a short letter from him, and he had de-
cided to go to Australia.
That was all. Miss Elizabeth had seen
very little of him. He was the only child
of her sister, who was many years older
When the father died, the property was
divided between the sisters. Margaret
took her share in money, and went, with
her husband, to live in London, where she
died soon after.
Elizabeth had never left the old home
stead, and, with proper management, there
would never haye been any need to do so;
but now-she had made another mistake.
The old clock was ticking loudly in the
great wide hall as she slowly went up the
stairs to the pleasant room where she had
spent her lifetime.
II am always making Mistakes" she
moaned drearlly, as she threw herself on
the little white bed. "Sixteen years ago
to-day made one, and now have made
another"
There were no tears now in the daik
gray eyes, only tired look that strangers
would wonder at; for ii ever woman was
enyied in that little village, Elizabeth Har-
court was.
"She has everything one could wish for, !"
the poor folks said, "but she is so good
with It ALL"
How could they know of the business
worries, and the pinching economy, and
the aching heart, that the sweet, calm face
never showed?
Elizabeth Harcourt was proud woman,
and, in the years gone by, had been hasty
one; and now, in the quiet of her room,
her thoughts went back to long ago, when,
in her hot temper, she told Jack Rainsford
she meyer wished to see his face again.
How could he know that in the morning
she would have given worlds TO unsay the
words?
1t had started, like most quarrels, with
such little thing! But he had taken her
at her word, and he had sailed for India,
and she had never seen him since.
She did not think he would stay away,
but, in the meanwhile, no one should ever
know that she cared at all; so she laughed
and talked more blithelY than ever, and
grew prettier every day, unit! every one
said she never had cared for him; and,
away OFF in hot Calcutta, Jack Rainsford
heard it, and his heart grew hard and
bitter.
A year went by and he did not come
back; then she promised TO marry Philip
Dinsmore. After that she was gayer than
ever, until when the wedding day was
fixed, and the villagers talking of the grand
match, she broke it off with him. Nobody
eyer Knew why, except Philip Dinsmore.
If he had been less grand and noble than
he was she might baye married him; but
looking into those pure eyes of his, she
could not take lie on her lips. So she
told him with bitter tears how the face of
her absent lover came between her and any
one else.
Brave Philip Dnsmorel As he listened,
whittier and whittier grew his face; but when
she had finished, he stopped and kissed the
sweet red lips for the last time. In all the
world he knew he would meyer love another
woman as he loYed Beth Harcourt, and II
was a grander loYe than she had before
Il am going TO India ON business next
month, Beth,'' he wrote to her afterward,
and. II ! can, viii fnd Jack Ralasford f"